Keyboard shortcuts for dynamics
I primarily use the keyboard for note input, and one of the biggest hiccups in the workflow is having to use the mouse to enter dynamics. There is technically a way to do this without the mouse through the text edit mode, but they don't change the volume, and they don't sit right in the score. Also it's behind 3 short cuts, so its faster to just use my mouse, even though its the slowest part of my workflow.
Comments
My workflow is multi-pass. Dynamics are added in one of the passes using the mouse throughout. There is no switch between mouse to keyboard and dynamics can be added to many adjacent staves with one click. But yes, I have often wished there were keyboard shortcuts for at least the basic, pp, p, mp, mf, f and ff. And of course, those shortcuts could equally well be used to add dynamics to multiple staves.
In reply to My workflow is multi-pass. … by SteveBlower
One of the great things about workflow in the now ancient and deceased Igor Engraver was the ability to assign shortcuts to practically anything. The user could build a workflow that required very little mouse use, which made it fast.
It's not as if we're going to use dynamics once at the start and maybe at the end of a score.
After all, we do have shortcuts for hairpins, slurs, and ties already.
Indeed, someday we would love to have the ability to assign shortcuts to palette elements. I' hopeful to see this in the not-too-distant future.
Meanwhile, though, I would note a couple of things:
1) It is possible to do true dynamics via keyboard alone, by navigating to the palette (eg, Ctrl+F9 to jump directly to the Search box), then typing the word "dynamic" (or any palette name) or any specific dynamic, then navigating the search results with the cursor key. You can also customize the palette cell names (right-click, or use the "..." menu) to make them easier to search for. It's possible to make this process reasonably efficient, even if still a far cry from direct shortcuts.
2) It's quite possible you aren't finding the most efficient way of adding via mouse. For instance, if you're using drag&drop, don't - a simple click adds a dynamic to other select note or notes. This also allows you to quickly add a dynamic across multiple instruments of a large ensemble, by selecting that note across the desired staves.
try this plugin